Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Check Your Tires

Driving home from a movie on Saturday afternoon I thought I had a flat tire. I pulled my car into a parking lot and walked around the car. I also got down on the ground and looked under the car. I couldn’t see anything wrong. I started driving the car home and began noticing a vibration. Even more mystifying was the fact that none of my car’s sophisticated warning systems indicated there was a problem. By this time I am looking at my wife and saying, “Do you feel that”? In my world there is always a chance that whatever I think is happening is really all in my head. At least that’s the consensus of my family most of the time. Yesterday I took the car to the dealership where I bought it and where my son works. Eventually, my son walks into the waiting room and says, “Dad, I don’t know what you’ve done but there’s a chunk of asphalt stuck to your tire. We’re scraping it off as best we can and hopefully the tire isn’t damaged”. The good news is that the asphalt was removed, the tire was saved, and I was happy. Sometimes our lives are like this tire. We’re rolling along, minding our own business on a beautiful day, and then something happens that makes our whole life seem out of whack. More often than not it’s due to some burden or problem we’ve picked up or created. Rarely does the acquisition of anything make us happy. I have found more happiness from letting things go than from taking things on. Some have called this a “Spirituality of Subtraction”. So, as you go through your life today, check your tires. You may have driven over a freshly repaired pot hole like I did and acquired a chunk of asphalt on your tire. Scrape it off and your life will roll much smoother.

About Me

I am a 66 year old aging hippie who once lived in a monastery and who strives to live a meaningful life. I enjoy books, music, films, writing, and spending time with my granddaughter. I strive to have a Zen mind and I seek this through the practice of mindfulness and contemplative living. I am an INFP on the Myers-Briggs and a Type Four on the Enneagram. Follow my thoughts on Twitter @tiedyedmystic.